Walmart unveils Foster Road store

By Jeff B. Flinn, Managing Editor :
May 7, 2013

San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Ramiro Cavazos makes a purchase from Walmart associate Jazmin Benedicto during the store's May 1 opening.

As hundreds of people lined up outside, dozens of associates clamored inside, making sure produce bins were stocked, display counters were stacked and that their fellow associates were stoked.

The early-morning May 1 opening of Walmart store 3112 on Foster Road went off without a hitch, with city, county and chamber dignitaries offering congratulatory words for Store Manager Mike Weder and the hundreds of Walmart “associates” on hand for the grand opening.

“We've had possession since April 1. The team here is so fired up and excited about the opportunity to provide the everyday low price that Walmart provides to the community,” Weder said. “The neighborhood's been excited; we've had customers walking by all week, for the last two weeks, just saying, 'When are you opening? When are you opening?'

“Just looking at the amount of people at the door this morning, we see how thrilled they are that we are here,” Weder added.

The store features a full-service pharmacy, tire lube express, Subway sandwich shop, bakery, delicatessen, and sporting goods and home and garden sections spread throughout the 160,000 square-feet building at the intersection of North Foster and Binz Engleman roads.

One innovation customers will find is the bullpen check-out area, a rectangular area of eight self check-out stations near the entrance closest to the produce section and Subway eatery.

“This bullpen self check-out is a new program with Walmart and it provides that customer experience where it's faster, to allow them to come in, have a friendly environment, a clean store and check out faster,” Weder said. “This addresses some of the bigger things a customer wants to be able to do when they come into the store.”

Weder comes to store 3112 after having managed two stores in the Weslaco area over the past 2½ years. The store, which will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, currently employees 250 associates, with about 50 more positions to fill.